--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Olsen, C. L. collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 23 number: 4 published: 1920-02 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'Olsen, C. L., "How Long, O Lord, How Long?," *Improvement Era* 23, no. 4 (February 1920): 332–335.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera2304unse transcription: Transcribed from the Internet Archive scan of each issue (the item for each issue is named in the issue's own source); unnumbered advertising leaves are omitted, printed page numbers are kept as page markers. identifier: improvementera2304unse start_page: 332 end_page: 335 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1920-02) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera2304unse publication_year: 1920 note: The Internet Archive item metadata carries a blanket "© Copyright by Intellectual Reserve, Inc." notice. The library owner judged it inapplicable because this issue was published in 1920, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # How Long, O Lord, How Long? How Long, Lord,4iow Long? By Dr. C. L. Olsen — This is not a vision neither one actually seen nor one mechanically written, as the mind is projected when the transit of thought is turned in any given direction. But as Morpheus in the stillness of night forsook me for the space of several hours, my mind, the mysterious something which never rests, was preoccupied with matters of vital interest to myself and to others. While seriously meditating upon conditions of life as they actually exist — the well-nigh universal tribulations of the last few years; the present time of nearly as universal an unrest; the spirit of Bolshevism creeping in; the "high cost," the low values, the greed, graft and shameless profiteering everywhere in evidence, as well as the future so justly dreaded — period of reconstruction my soul grew pessimistic. '"Twixt optimist and pessimist the difference is droll, The optimist sees the doughnut, the pessimist, the hole." It was with great difficulty that I could see the doughnut at all — the hole seemed altogether out of proportion to the rest of it. Any wonder that one who will think, shall feel depressed in spirits when pondering on existing economic conditions and the manifest injustice prevailing in a social world where, notwithstanding a loud disclaimer, class and caste continually clash with each other, and men are made millionaires overnight? A couple of years ago I was visiting with a colleague in a certain town in this state, a city of not over 8,000 inhabitants. My host took me out in his automobile, and with natural pride showed me the points of interest in the city of his birth. Among other things he pointed out the palatial residences of one of his townsmen, and remarked: "In 1890 that man was not worth a dollar; now he is a millionaire four times over." Labor being — the only source of wealth the most fertile land, the richest — mine, remaining worthless without it and as man, the ordinary man, at least, is doomed to "eat bread" in the sweat of his face, how many days of labor, how many gallons of sweat did those millions of dollars represent? For they were either ground out or squeezed out of somebody. Under present econ- — HOW LONG, LORD, HOW LONG? 333 omic conditions it is possible for a man, provided he is "smart" enough, or "lucky,"' or has inherited a "start," and possesses "business sagacity," as it is called, to accumulate immense fortunes. But the man never was born who, in a life time or in several life times, can earn, in the common acceptance of the term, even one million dollars. That the masses of mankind today are writhing under the heel of oppression, galling under the heavy yoke they must bear in order to live, is manifest, even to the casual observer. True, the laborer's wages have increased. But even this is scant comfort to the poor housewife who comes home from the store with a handful of bundles, the bare necessities of life, representing the bread-winner's weekly earnings. As, from the days of Adam, it is human nature to blame others, she then feels to say, of the storekeeper, (Hosea 12, 7.) "He is a mer- : chant; the balances of deceit are in his hand; he loveth to oppress." And the worst of it is that in these days of unscrupulous profiteering the quotation contains more truth than poetry. The war, and a comparatively small increase in wages, are made to serve as an excuse for advance upon advance in the price of everything, from shoes to salt and toothpicks. Bewildering figures (with a wide margin of possible errors), and statistics galore, are brought forward by shameless profiteers as convincing proof of justification for out and out robbery this, no doubt, upon Barnum's theory that, "the dear American public loves to be humbugged." How long, Lord, how long, wilt thou suffer thy children who compose the nether millstone of humanity to be ground to dust under the pressure brought to bear upon them? These are not irreverent words, but they express the sincere yearning of those who suffer under oppression and from economic inequality, the outgrowth of man's selfish ambitions. "Man's inhumanity to man makes countless thousands mourn." The late war has abundantly proved the truth of these words of the Scottish bard. And they are daily being proved to be true in peace, no less. Many a noble soul is just now trying to find a remedy for the immediate results of man's wicked scheming— the inflated and unwarranted, upward soaring of prices in the necesvalues sities of life—now comprehended under the common term, were "money in it," we may rest "high cost." And if there evolved. But what assured that a cure for the evil would be for those endowed incentive to "business" would there be, work out a scheme that would elimwith business acumen, to If, for instance, the altoinate, let us say, the middleman? "Consumers' Corporation, were congether feasible plan, the 334 IMPROVEMENT ERA sidered a financial "bonanza," a proposition bidding fair to create immense individual wealth, is it reasonable to believe that men of means would let such an opportunity slip them by? No ! Such an organization would be on foot and fully equipped with ample funds within twenty-four hours. But men with millionaire brains are not falling over each other trying to launch such an undertaking. Prohibitive legislation alone, or even punitive measures, will not be sufficient to correct such a colossal evil as the one referred to. Bank robberies in broad daylight might be less frequent if a strong policeman stood at every teller's window with a cocked revolver ready to shoot the intruder. So with the unconscionable profiteer. Mercenary, every whit, he is a stranger to the finer influences; he trifles with the tender feelings of his unfortunate victim; his vision is obscured by filthy lucre; devoid of conscience, he is impervious to moral impressions; a human pachyderm he is — to remonstrate with such a being is futile. To handle such a monster with a whip, or even a club, is useless. Speaking calmly, the only effective remedy must be intelligent cooperation of the masses; such cooperation to be fostered by the government, encouraged by the press, protected by just and favorable laws, permitted to expand in every direction, and, shielded from ruthless encroachment, be allowed to conduct its own affairs, lawfully and unhindered, supported by the strong arm of a righteous democracy. As for the Latter-day Saints, they are in a unique position. Boastful as it may sound, and preposterous as it may seem to the world, the fact remains that of all people on earth, they are the only ones in possession of the Lord's mind and will in the form of revelation concerning the question of temporal salvation. And why? Because of all his creatures on earth in this day and age, the Latter-day Saints are alone willing to accept in child-like confidence revelation from him. True, a mere spoken or written revelation, amounts to but very little. To be effective, it requires obedience on the part of those con- — cerned, be the same one, a few, or a great many else it remains a dead word, or a dead letter. Musing, in the silent night, the United Order, with its advantages, blessings and unlimited possibilities, appeared before my view. Ah, how my venerable father, about the middle of last century, then in his best years, feasted upon the thought of that perfect order of things, which he confidently expected to see in operation before his death — at 92 ! Then, turning the transit, looking forward, I behold five generations, the children of the fifth, apparently no nearer beholding that glorious consummation, the bringing about of temporal salvation for HOW LONG, O LORD, HOW LONG? 335 God's children, than their great-great grandfather beheld it. No wonder ordinary mortals feel to exclaim "How much longer, : Lord, how much longer!" The economic system here referred to must not be confounded with such make-shift schemes as those advocated by red-eyed, ranting, roaring socialists; by the radical doctrines of "I Won't Work-ism," or by the revolutionary soviet system of rule or ruin. It has nothing in common with them, or with any other man-made compromise proposition. The difference between these and the United Order is as great as the brightest sunlit day is from the darkest night. "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord." When the revelation mentioned (Doc. and Cov. 78:1-8) shall be — when this "permanent establishment and order" fulfilled shall be set up on earth, as it assuredly will be some day in — the future the faint hope of relief which today is flickering as it were in the souls of unnumbered thousands of mortals will become a reality. Under this order, the "Order of Enoch," industrial warfare will cease; strikes, lockouts, walkouts, picketing, etc., will be things of the past; economic strife will have an end; "profiteering" will be impossible; there will be neither — rich nor poor individual millionaires and paupers will not be found; neither will there be princely castles and gilded palaces for the favored few, nor the poor-house, as the last haven of refuge for those who have "lost out" in the battle of life. God speed the day! Salt Lake City, Utah The Song-Bird There rose a bird-song gushing wild, Within the woodland green and mild, Each weary, pensive fear dispelling In tender golden beauty swelling. As o'er and o'er it came again The heart responsive to the strain, Imbued the sweetness of its measure, On light-waves soared the dewy azure! The mellow-throated, pure refrain Revived the dearest hopes again, Its loveliness so freely given I felt 'twas sweet enough for heaven. The bird within the woodland mild, The yellow-throated songster wild, Still singeth, O ye hearts of sadness, Come forth and hear its life's bright gladness! Minnie Iverson Hodapp